Kakamega Forest used to be part of a larger forest that
stretched across the continent of Africa. Unfortunately, due to human
encroachment, all that remains of this once magnificent forest are small
patches of forest reserves in Kenya (Kakamega), Uganda (Bwindi), DRC, etc.
Nonetheless, the forest is incredible.
The forest houses 9 different species of monkeys. We saw at
least four and I got to spend a lazy hour watching a troop of black and white
colobus monkeys in the trees above me. I think they were just as interested in
me and I was in them. A couple brave souls kept peaking their little black and
white faces out from behind the leaves to stare at me, slowly inching closer and
closer, and then getting scared and scurrying back up the tree. I gently
clutched my car keys, hoping they would realize that I didn’t have any food and
we could stay in this mutual standoff of “look but don’t touch”.
The forest also houses 35 species of snakes. Eek! But don’t
worry, only 18 of them are poisonous. Our guide then proceeds to inform us (I
think he was trying to reassure us) that there are snakes everywhere, we just
don’t see them because they run away from our vibrations. There are even snakes
living in the tree house that we are sleeping in. In fact, if you don’t have
rats in your home, you most certainly have a snake. Never before did I think
that I’d be wishing for rats in my home!
And the butterflies. I can’t even remember how many different
species there are here, but they are everyone and they are beautiful! From
spotted brown ones that really do look just like leaves to scarlet red ones to
tiny white ones… they swirl around the air, gently landing on you and then
fluttering away. I love them. My grandfather used to say that when you see a
butterfly, it is a loved one who has passed away coming to visit you. So
whenever I see these beautiful creatures, I always feel like I’m in good
company.
Of course there are patches of forest with less pleasant
insect encounters. Like the row of guava trees that have dropped their
now-fermenting fruit, creating both a putrid-sweet aroma and swarms of fruit
flies. And the safari ants…. We are lazily walking through the forest, looking
up at the trees, chatting away, when suddenly our guide yells out “RUN!!”
What?!?!? That’s not what you want to hear emanating from the mouth of your
calm, soft-spoken forest guide. After a few minutes of frantically running
through the forest, we stop and he tells us to check for ants in our pants. He
reaches over and plucks an ant off my shoe. I find another one in my trousers.
Tony finds two all the way up in his shirt. Safari ants. Swarms will quickly
crawl up your trousers, bite and hold on, forcing you to drop your drawers to
remove the little biters. Nasty little critters.
And naturally, every forest must have it’s token Viagra tree
and breast-enhancing bugs. I suppose there are a few universal motivators in
life – things that cross cultures and generations. Our guide kindly warned us
not to place the bugs on our breasts because when they bite (causing the
breasts to swell), it hurts like hell and you’re likely to start crying. Why do
we do this to ourselves?
Happy Hiking!
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